Ontario Forest Industries Association (OFIA) continues to press Queen's Park to conduct socio-economic impact assessments before the government decided to pass any more legislation that it says hurts members.
In a Jan. 21 news release, OFIA points to Stats Can figures showing the jobless rate in northeastern Ontario is the worst in the province with employment levels at only 53.5 per cent.
OFIA executives were heading up to Dryden for Jan. 27 to make a presentation to the province's Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, otherwise known as the Ontario government's pre-budget hearings.
A key component of their presentation are that these impact assessments must go hand-in-hand with any new or revised policy, regulation or legislation.
OFIA president Jamie Lim is also asking for the government to annually set aside a minimum of 26 million cubic metres of wood to be used by existing and new players to Ontario's forest industry. That is well above the 11 million cubic metres of unused Crown wood being put up for bid in the province's wood supply competition.
“Any reductions in this wood supply will not only have negative repercussions for the existing forestry industry they will eliminate future economic opportunities and employment,” said Lim in a statement.
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